Name: Minestrone Soup
Ingredients: 0.75 cup dried cannellini beans (5 ounces); 0.5 large onion; 1 bay leaf; 0.333 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large rib celery, very finely chopped; 1 medium carrot, very finely chopped; 1 large onion, very finely chopped; 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, quartered lengthwise, cut into ¼-inch slices, rinsed well; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 large ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch slices; 2 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices; 6 ounces small red potatoes (about 7), cut into ½-inch pieces; 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut into ¼-inch slices; 4 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 1 can (14 ½ ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes with juice, crushed; 1 bunch (5 ounces) Tuscan kale (also called cavolo nero), stemmed, leaves cut crosswise into ½-inch strips; 0.25 head savoy cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced (about 2 cups); 4 cups Vegetable Stock; 1 rind (3 inches) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1 bay leaf; 0.125 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes; Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper; Martha's Pesto

Minestrone Soup

3.1

(170)

2 Reviews

Martha Stewart Editors

Updated on May 16, 2017

Yield:

Makes 10 cups; serves 8

This simple recipe for delicious minestrone soup was adapted from the September 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Ingredients

For the Beans

¾ cup dried cannellini beans (5 ounces)
½ large onion
1 bay leaf

For the Soffritto

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large rib celery, very finely chopped
1 medium carrot, very finely chopped
1 large onion, very finely chopped

For the Soup

1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, quartered lengthwise, cut into ¼-inch slices, rinsed well
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
6 ounces small red potatoes (about 7), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut into ¼-inch slices
4 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 can (14 ½ ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes with juice, crushed
1 bunch (5 ounces) Tuscan kale (also called cavolo nero), stemmed, leaves cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
¼ head savoy cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cups Vegetable Stock
1 rind (3 inches) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 bay leaf
⅛ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Martha's Pesto

Directions

Make beans: Cover beans with cold water by 2 inches in a bowl. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Drain. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in large saucepan. Add beans, onion, and bay leaf. Reduce heat; simmer until beans are just tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving beans and 4 cups liquid. Discard solids from beans, and cover beans.
Make soffritto: Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion. Cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Make soup: Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add celery, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, and green beans. Cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in reserved bean liquid, the tomatoes and juice, kale, cabbage, stock, cheese rind, and red-pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 hour.
Add beans. Cover; cook until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve topped with pesto if desired. Minestrone can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; thin with water if needed before reheating.